‘American Idol:’ Lee DeWyze v. Nigel Lythgoe Duel?

As we reported pre-Idol finale, last season’s champ, Lee DeWyze, was rumored to have not been invited to participate in or attend the American Idol finale at the Nokia Theater Wednesday night. Cameras caught a quick glance at Lee in the audience, but the reigning champ (before Scotty McCreery took the title) was noticeably missing from the stage on the season’s biggest night. Previous Idol champs Carrie Underwood and David Cook each had a role to play on the two night finale festivities, but last season’s winner was simply missing.

Well, things have since developed into a twitter battle between Nigel Lythgoe and Lee DeWyze. Earlier Thursday, Lythgoe tweeted, ““I was so upset Lee DeWyze wouldn’t present the winners trophy to Scotty. Especially as he’s been on the show this season. I guess he was shy,” implying the Season 9 winner was asked to but did not want to partake in the show’s final moments. DeWyze didn’t take long to counter. “Just for the record, I was not asked to be involved in the finale. It wasn’t until about 2 minutes before they announced [the winner] that Nigel had approached me and asked if he could ‘borrow’ me for a second. I didn’t feel a last-second jump on stage was appropriate. It was Scotty’s moment. I appreciate American Idol,” DeWyze continued, “and the opportunity it has given me. And the people who have made that show possible. I am not angry, or bitter etc. It was an amazing finale, and I would have loved to be a part of it. I just wasn’t asked.”

Needless to say, no comment has been made by Nigel Lythgoe in retaliation to Lee’s claim. Nigel has bigger and better things to worry about with So You Think You Can Dance kicking off on air today (and don’t forget to check out our recap here tomorrow morning!). Whose team are you on? Team Nigel or Team DeWyze? What’s your take on the whole situation? Let us know below!

J.D. Montgomery accidentally stumbled into the world of entertainment when he first joined the Yak’s team all the way from medical school on the isle of St. Maarten. Entertainment media is probably the last place you’d expect a 3rd year medical student to wind up in, but YakkityYaks is where he’s at. J.D. used his fast-paced learning style to quickly further himself as one of the Yak’s top entertainment contributors. While he has no background in the entertainment industry, he is an avid fan of television, movies, and music and his passion for the exciting world of entertainment translates into his wide array of reports. When J.D. is not writing, you can find him busy studying for his medical boards and wandering the halls of the hospital … not Grey’s Anatomy or House, MD style (fortunately or not). He also has a BS in Neuroscience and is always looking for ways to channel his medical background for the Yak. Too bad he’s not a vet.